California Governor Jerry Brown to Join the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as Executive Chair

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is delighted to announce that California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. is joining the nonprofit organization as executive chair. In his new position, Brown will work alongside the Bulletin’s three board chairs to further the organization’s mission of providing the information needed to reduce manmade existential threats such as nuclear war, climate change, and disruptive technologies.

Brown has been actively engaged with the Bulletin, speaking at the organization’s Annual Dinner in 2015 and participating in a bi-coastal news event that announced the time on the Doomsday Clock in 2016. In his 2018 State of the State address, Brown cited the movement of the Doomsday Clock in his warning that, “our world, our way of life, our system of governance” are all at “immediate and genuine risk.”

Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the organization, said: “Governor Brown’s longstanding commitment to the Bulletin’s mission is deeply admirable and we are honored that he is joining our leadership to continue working for a safer and healthier planet.”

Robert Rosner, chair of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, added: “I am delighted to welcome Governor Brown as a contributor to the board’s ongoing discussions about nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies.”

Former Secretaryof Defense William J. Perry, chair of the Bulletin‘s Board of Sponsors, commented on the announcement: “Governor Brown is a passionate advocate of the Bulletin and its mission. He will help us advance our work of reducing the risk posed by manmade existential threats. We will put his deep intellect and incredible energy to good use.”

In accepting the position as executive chair of the organization, Governor Brown said: “I am honored to be stepping into this important role, particularly at this moment in time, when the Bulletin’s unique voice and depth of expertise is so clearly needed. Huge investments in new weapons systems, the growing existential threat of climate change, and a general antipathy toward evidence-based policymaking are putting all of us at grave risk.”

He added: “I look forward to working with the Bulletin’s leadership, as we strive to identify public policies and scientific breakthroughs that will have a lasting impact on the future of our planet.”